TITLE: Cold Case
Author: Skinfull
Rating: PG
Classification: MT
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit, no harm.
Summary: Some believe that some cases are never meant to 
be solved.  Mulder is not one of them
Feedback: skinfull@undergroundtales.com Love all 
feedback. Thanks in 
Advance!
Author's notes: Written for the November Longer fic 
challenge on Mulder Refuge :)

Cold Case
By Skinfull


West Highway
Cedar River Road
Seattle

Fox Mulders lungs hurt from the cold.  His eyes fought 
away the darkness as he came to, but he didnt think there was 
anything he could do to rid himself of the searing pain in his 
head. The thermometer in the car had registered eight degrees 
before the crash, so before climbing from the wreckage he had 
pulled on his thick downy coat and wound a scarf around his 
neck.  But he couldn't protect against the cold wind he 
breathed in. It seared his throat and made his chest ache, his 
lungs spasm into rattling coughs.

    The bare trees surrounding him were encased in ice, their 
branches glistening with their winter weight. The ground 
beneath him was snow covered and frozen so he took care as 
he tried to fins his way back to the road. Silently thanking god 
for all his working limbs he tentatively put his hand up to his 
forehead where blood oozed from a small gash just beyond his 
hairline.

    It took twice the effort to stay on his feet as his eyes 
dimmed and darkened under the strain. Second thoughts 
rummaged around his head as he wondered if he should have 
stayed with the car but tie was precious and he needed to find 
her. 

    The muscles in his legs were trembling as he leaned heavily 
against a thick tree trunk and dared to take a few breaths. 
Deep stinging pains speared his chest and his body was about 
ready to give up. As he pushed himself away from the tree his 
hands scraped off the sharp bark but they were so numb with 
the cold he felt nothing. The sound of rushing water pierced 
the winter silence and he looked up to see the swollen banks 
of the river. 

His mind whirled with the thought he was going in the 
wrong direction and as he turned to go back through the forest 
his feet slipped on the slick surface and he fell. Rolling down 
the snowy hill he fumbled for grip but there was nothing to 
grab, weeds and fallen branches accompanied him on his slide 
as he reached the bank and plunged feet first into the frozen 
water.

     Immediately he was stung with the icy cold water as it 
found it's way around his clothes and gripped his skin with 
artic ferocity.  His body stiffened as his blood pulled away 
from his limbs and he lost all control of his fingers.  The 
current was powerful and it pulled him down stream twisting 
him and turning him relentlessly around the water where he 
took in mouthfuls of frozen water. Gasping as his head 
emerged from its frosty grip Mulder watched as the spinning 
world around him blackened out to nothing taking his pain 
and discomfort with it.

***

24 Hours earlier.
FBI Basement Office
Washington DC

Scully sat at the centre desk with her glassed perched 
on the edge of her nose as she scanned her report. Signing the 
bottom she glanced at her watch and saw it was nearing six at 
last. Outside the fog had clung to the streets all day in a 
desperate attempt to keep the winter in Washington. First 
week in March and still it was foggy she sighed as she pulled 
on her over coat and scarf. 

Snatching the file from the desk she walked out of the 
room and took the elevator up to the third floor. With most of 
the offices emptying for the evening she smiled politely to a 
few passing agents. Kimberly was just closing up when she 
walked into Skinners office and gestured towards the door. 

"You just missed him Agent Scully."

"Ok well I'll leave this here with you."

    Kim took the file and smiled as she placed it into a filing 
cabinet and locked it. Scully waved goodnight and walked out 
the front door. With her car still in the garage form the last 
case where Mulder slammed it sideward into a tree she 
walked down the street to where she knew she would find a 
cab. She pulled her scarf tighter around herself and looked up 
and down the street eagerly awaiting her paid saviour to carry 
her home from the cold. A navy blue Lincoln town car pulled 
up alongside her and the window whirred down.

"Agent Scully? Can I offer you a lift?" Bending at the waist 
Scully glanced into the car and saw Tim from the forensic lab 
smiling expectantly at her.

"Eh, no thanks, that's ok." 

"Are you sure? I wanted to talk to you about something."

    Glancing up and down the street again Scully saw it was 
free of most traffic let alone cabs so she smiled appreciably 
and stepped into the car feeling the reassuring lump of her gun 
at her back as she belted up.

    They drove in silence for a while before Tim glanced over 
at her nervously. Looking back to the road and concentration 
on his driving he seemed to struggle to start the conversation 
so she decided to throw him a lifeline.

"What was it you wanted to talk about Tim?" she said smiling. 
He seemed at first surprised that she knew his name then 
delighted, so much so that it took him a full minute to answer 
her.

"I should probably have come down to the office and spoken 
to both yourself and Agent Mulder but I'm not sure if 
that's...appropriate."

    Interest piqued now, Scully turned towards him a bit more 
and urged him to continue. "What is it?" she said when he 
didnt.

"It's about a case...possible case." Tim watched the road for a 
moment as the traffic in front of him slowed down and 
stopped. Last week two agents came into our lab and cleared 
all data from every single PC. They took all files, books, 
samples and evidence in process at the time. The room was 
cleared of posters, notepads, and magazines...everything. All 
they left was our desks, tables and machinery."

"What?"

"Then the following day when we opened up everything was 
back. Everything."

"What are you talking about?"

"We were all working on evidence from the Martin case."

"Martin Case? Judge Martin?"

"Yes. Fingerprints, DNA samples and fibres were found and 
were being processed when they cleared up out. Now it's like 
we have a brand new lab and of course all our evidence was 
destroyed."

"Did you report it?" Scully asked shocked at what he was 
telling her.

"To who?" A driver behind them beeped their car horn angrily 
when they didnt move on with the traffic and Tim hurriedly 
drove on.

"Was their any other case you were working on?"

"No. We had cleared everything except for this case. Which as 
I'm sure you know is unusual. We've had more technicians 
around lately and it has made the difference."

"Who is working the Martin Case?"

"Agent Dixon."

"What did he say?"

"I believe it was him who ordered the clear out."
    
***

Alexandria Apartment
7.04PM

    Fox Mulder lay on his couch facing the TV screen, 
watching the basketball game. With the Knicks loosing by 40 
points he didnt think there was much point in watching the 
rest of the game but some archaic sense of loyalty and hope 
glued him into the position he fell into when he arrived home 
at lunch.  

He had felt Scully's questioning gaze on his back after 
he announced he was going home at lunch time but to her 
credit she didnt mention anything and looking at the clock he 
saw it was just past seven pm and she still hadn't called.

    Part of him smiled at her reserve but another part was 
childishly disappointed that she hadn't rang.  The klaxon rang 
to signal the end of the game but he still didnt move. 
Watching the cheerleaders take over the court as the players 
ran off her sighed deeply into the dark room and allowed his 
eyes to close over.

    Sounds of sirens drifted up from the street but he tried to 
block it out, instead running over in his mind the torturous 
weekend he had spent by his mother's graveside. The rain fell 
hard but he didnt notice or didnt care as he sat on the bench 
over looking the cemetery. His clothes had soaked through 
and by the time he got back to the house he was sniffling and 
sneezing. His limbs shook with the cold and his chest hurt 
with every wheezing cough that rattled him.

    Scully noticed his fever this morning and tried to examine 
her but he brushed away her hands irritably. She watched him 
carefully from the safety of her own desk and wasn't surprised 
when he left at lunchtime.

    Lying still he felt his chest wheezing and his body shivered 
but he was too tired and weak to move. The emotions spent 
over the weekend were too much for his body to take. As the 
newscasters on the TV analysed the match his eyes fluttered 
open at the sound of a loud knock on his door.

"Go away," he muttered knowing whoever it was wouldn't 
hear him. But the second knock followed his weak reply. "Go 
away!" he called out his time louder and angrier.

"Mulder, it's me."

    He said nothing knowing she had her own keys and would 
let herself in when he didnt reply. Secretly delighted at the 
sound of her key rattling in her hand he was still dismayed at 
the thought of having to move, so he didnt.  Scully took in the 
dark room and his shadowy figure on the couch and walked 
over towards the light switch.

"Leave it off."

"You okay?" she asked her fingers hovering over the switch 
for a second longer before she took them down and set them 
by her side. Carefully approaching him she crouched by his 
head and gently touched his forehead. "Mulder, you're 
burning up."

"I'm freezing."

"You have a bad fever. Why didnt you call me?" Her voice 
took on an anger that he liked. The authoritative Dana Scully 
who wasn't afraid to put him in his place, shove a gun under a 
perps chin that was twice her size and stand up to a committee 
of Superiors who were negating her work with the Xfiles. Her 
words were spoken clearly and loudly as she told him she was 
running a hot bath and ordered him into the bedroom to get 
warmer clothes. 

He toyed with the idea of ignoring her and facing her 
again but instead he managed to pull himself off the couch 
and amble into his bedroom where he grabbed a pair of sweats 
a tee shirt and a Knicks hoodie. Peeling off his suit, he left on 
only his boxers as he walked into the bathroom that was warm 
with steam. 

    His skin was pale against the white tiles but she tried not to 
worry as she twisted the taps off and walked out of the room.  
Mulder waited until the door closed before slinking down 
onto the toilet seat with little of no co-ordination. His elbows 
rested on his knees and his head fell into his hands. Feeling 
his sweat grimy and cold on his forehead he waited a moment 
longer before stepping into the hot water and sinking low to 
submerge his head and shoulders.

    Scully searched the kitchen for food and came across a can 
of oxtail soup. It was almost finished when she heard Mulder 
stepping out of the bathroom and padding his way into the 
living room. An audible wumph reached her ears as he landed 
on the soft leather couch. She carried in a bowl of soup and 
placed it in front of him but with his head back and his eyes 
clothes he didnt see her.

"C'mon Mulder, eat something."

"Not hungry."

"You need to warm up."

    Clasping his hands in her she rubbed them together and was 
surprised by their icy touch. Used to his warm skin she began 
to worry by the sudden cold and clamminess.

    Pulling his head off the couch he looked down to her 
moving hands, the friction between their fingers generating 
little heat but the sensation of her skin against his warmed him 
up a little bit more.

"I knew you should have let me come with you." She 
muttered as she went into the kitchen to get him some bread. 
When she came back he was huddled over the soup slurping it 
appreciatively. "How did it go?" 

"Terribly."

"Did you get caught in the storm?"

"Yeah."

"And didnt bother to change when you got home," she said 
knowingly shaking her head at his thoughtlessness.

"I wasn't exactly thinking straight."

"You should have let me come Mulder." She was angry again. 
He could tell. But it was nice angry. Not I cant believe you 
ditched me and nearly got yourself killed angry, more like, I 
cant believe you wont let me help you because I care about 
you angry. He liked that angry.

"I wanted to be alone. I needed to face it alone."

"No Mulder you didnt need to. I would have faced it with you. 
I would have gone with you."

"Well its done now." He finished off the last piece of bread 
and soup and put the stuff back on the table.  "So what has 
you over here tonight? Worried about me?"

"Partly."

"Just partly? And I thought you cared!" he joked. She smiled 
at his attempt to lift the mood but she knew he was feeling 
down and wouldn't bounce back as quick as he imagined.

"I had an interesting conversation with Tim Halford."

"From forensics?"

"Last week the lab was cleared of all equipment and data."

"What case were they working on?"

"Martin Case. Agent Dixon."

"That's a cold case. It's over 20 years old. Every agent has had 
a go at solving it." Intrigued Mulder sat up and walked over to 
his bookshelf where he pulled out a lever arch folder. Pulling 
it open he found the notes he wanted and showed her. 
Looking down she saw his recognisable profiling notes.

"Even you?" she teased as she flicked through the pages.

"One of my first cases."

"And you got nowhere?"

"Well just as I was getting somewhere I was pulled off it and 
given a different case. At the time I thought it was strange that 
just as I was making progress I was pulled."

"But you were young and wanted to impress," she finished for 
him with a wry smile.

"Something like that."

"So someone is actively removing evidence form the case. 
Covering up for someone?"

"It seems a bit blatant to me. In the FBI HQ? To remove and 
destroy all evidence?"

"What did Tim say?"

"He said he thought Agent Dixon had ordered the removal. 
When he asked him about it he said it was going to a different 
department."

"Maybe we should talk to Agent Dixon."

"Maybe you should stay at home in bed tomorrow. I'll talk to 
Skinner for authorisation. And if we get it them maybe we 
should talk to Agent Dixon."

"Scully, I'm fine. I'll go with you into Skinner tomorrow."

"I'd much rather if you didnt. Stay home, please Mulder." She 
stood and pulled on her coat and scarf. "I'll call you in the 
morning."

    He didnt say anything as she smiled and walked out of the 
room but instead wandered into his bedroom and climbed into 
bed with his sweats still on. He set the alarm for 6.15 and 
rolled over to grab as much sleep as he could before then.

***

Office of AD Skinner
7.45AM

"Agent Scully. What can I do for you?" AD Skinner glanced 
over the papers on his desk and made a few notes before 
shuffling them into a folder and filing it in a lower drawer.

"I wanted to ask you about a case."

"What case?"

"The Martin case."

"You too?" He locked the drawer by his knees and looked up 
to her for the first time.

"Sir?" she asked confused wondering who else was showing 
interest in the case and why. 

"You're the third person today to ask me about the Martin 
case."

"Has there been a breakthrough sir?"

"I'm not sure after 20 years if anything on this case can be 
called a breakthrough. Apparently Agent Dixon has been 
working on this case for the past 15 months. Last month he 
followed a cold lead. It brought him to a person called 
Malcolm Nelson a prior suspect in the Murder of Judge 
Martin. Somehow he managed to obtain fibre and hair 
samples from this man who had previously blocked all 
attempts for samples."

"And now the samples have been mislaid or were destroyed." 
She concluded sourly. All too often the hindrance of a case 
was purposefully orchestrated.

"Yes. How did you know?" Skinner leaned forward on his 
desk and clasped his hands in front.

"The lab was sterilised and all evidence was destroyed."

"Exactly. Agent Dixon is understandably outraged and asked 
to be removed from the case. He said he couldn't work under 
the conditions of someone blocking his way."

"You don't think he had anything to do with the destruction of 
the materials?"

"No. Do you?" he asked cleverly watching her carefully for a 
reaction.

"Pure speculation sir, nothing more." He thought he caught 
the edge of a smile curving her lips upward but he couldn't be 
sure.

"Well I'd be careful who you speak to about that case."

"What do you mean?"

"Agent Dixon said he received various threatening phone calls 
during his duration on the case and the destruction of his 
evidence was the final straw."

"So the case is open for investigation?"

"Yes. But it's not your department Agent Scully." He stood up 
from the table pre-empting her continuance as he walked 
towards her. "It's not an Xfile."

"It's an unsolved case isn't it?" she argued.

"Yes."

"And essentially that's the Xfiles."

"In a way." He eyed her carefully. "Do you want it?"

"The case file is confidential. Can I see it?"

"Are you taking the case?" he challenged.

"If I need to, to see the file."

"Then I'll get it to you by lunch."

"Thank you sir."
    
    Skinner watched her leaving then called after her and 
walked around the desk. Back towards his chair. "How is 
Agent Mulder this morning? He didnt look too well 
yesterday."

"He's suffering from high fever and a strong case of 
stupidity."

"Sorry?" Her words made him halt in his tracks and he turned 
to face her with a inquiring look in his eyes.

"He got caught in a rain storm and didnt get dry as soon as he 
could. Now he's paying for it. He's got a pretty severe chest 
infection."

"It was his mothers anniversary this weekend." He added 
sombrely. 

"Yes sir." There were no more words. Nothing to share 
between two colleagues that had so easily passed into the 
realm of friendship. The silence offered enough.

"Well send him my regards." He added before she closed the 
door behind her.

    Scully walked over to the bank of elevators and took one up 
one more floor. Walking slowly through the busy bullpen she 
spotted Agent Dixon's desk but he was nowhere to be seen. 
Catching the eye of the agent next to him she smiled warmly.

"Do you know where Agent Dixon is?" she asked her trained 
eyes noting the lack of personal objects on the desk. No 
scattered papers, photos or discarded pens.

"He's on a weeks vacation."

"Since when?" Her query was instant and her disbelief was 
obvious but the other agent didnt seem to notice as he 
shrugged his shoulders haplessly.

"This morning. He came in and collected some things before 
he took off."

"Did he go anywhere nice?" she asked still smiling while 
inside her mind whirred with thoughts and assumptions.

"Not sure." He shrugged again before his phone rang and he 
pounced on it eagerly.

    With a little smile Scully hurried back to the basement 
office. Sitting at Mulders desk and logging into the FBI 
intranet she searched for Dixon's personal information. 
Finding his home and cell phone number she rang them both 
but got no reply on either of them. Just as she replaced the 
receiver into it's cradle it rang loudly making her jump.

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me." Mulders hoarse voice croaked painfully on 
the other end.

"Mulder, how are you feeling?"

"Wretched."

"I'm glad you decided to stay at home. You shouldn't be out in 
this weather."

"I didnt decide to stay at home." She heard him turn away 
from the phone and hurl his chest into a fit of coughing. "I just 
woke up. Slept through the alarm. Did you speak to Skinner?"

"Yes. He's sending me down the case file to review at lunch."

"We've taken the case?" his surprise was registered with 
another bout of bad coughing.

"Well until you return to work I have." She could hear him 
wheezing on the other line.

"I'll be there in half an hour." The bed creaked beneath him as 
he shuffled off the tousled sheets.

"Mulder don't. Stay there. I'll bring it round to you this 
evening. You need some time to recuperate."

"C'mon Scully you know I hate to be idle," he whined with 
wheezy gasps over the phone.

"Well I'm sure you can think of something to entertain 
yourself."

"You know I'm too weak for any of that!"

"I'll talk to you later Mulder," she said with a sigh.

    When she hung up there was a quiet knock on the door. 
Tim pushed it open enough to see inside without stepping 
over the threshold of the doorframe.

"Agent Scully?" he asked timidly afraid to enter without 
permission.

"Tim, come in." she smiled up at him standing sheepishly at 
the door.

"I heard you've taken the case." He stepped in and cast a quick 
glance around the room before sitting in the chair opposite her 
that she gestured towards.

"I'm reviewing it."

"I thought you might like to see this." From between a pile of 
folders he pulled out a black and red hardback notebook. "I 
know you have a medical background so you'll understand it."

"What is it?" She took the notebook from him and leafed 
though the writing inside.

"All the notes I collected during the forensic study."

"How did you get this?" she asked incredulously reading more 
closely the words inside.

"I wasn't there the day they took the machinery away. I was 
offsite collecting evidence from a murder victim on South 
Boulevard. I hand write all my notes first for my reports, my 
theories and ideas and sift through them. Try to make sense of 
them" Scully recognised the method and remembered she 
used to use it too. "I always carry the notebook with me so it 
wasn't taken as part of the case."

"Who knows you have this?"

"As far as I know, no one does."

"Okay, well lets keep it like that."

"Do you think it's okay? I wont get in trouble will I?"

"No not at all. Leave it with me and don't mention it to 
anyone."

"I wont." He sat for a moment not sure what to do so she 
prompted him gently.

"Thanks Tim." He stood and walked away with only a quick 
glance back before he shut the door behind him.

    Scully looked through the notebook and read as much of it 
as she could. She was fully engrossed in it when Km knocked 
gently on the door and left the case file on her desk. Without a 
word she left the room and Scully barley noticed her presence. 

    The day travelled in slow sunken absorption as she read 
through each agents take on the murder case. Taking extra 
care when she came to Mulders profile she read it over twice 
before moving on, noting the profile was dated over 8 years 
ago.  Most of the notations and theories were similar all 
pointing to the same suspect Malcolm Nelson but no arrest 
was ever made and what little evidence was collected. Each 
time the AIC came close to collecting enough evidence for a 
warrant something happened.

    The first Agent on the case Agent Simon was killed in a car 
accident, Agent Harding retired from the job, and two other 
agents left the case for promotions including Agent Mulder. 
The pattern was obvious to Scully so she decided to take a 
closer look. All too quickly the darkness outside found it's 
way in through the windows and lurked in the corners where 
the light couldn't reach. 

    When she spied the late hour on the old clock above the 
door she reached quickly for the phone to ring Mulder but 
there was no reply. She grabbed her stuff along with her coat 
and scarf as she rushed out of the office and into the garage 
where her car was parked. Juggling all her things she 
struggled with them to find her car keys when she heard the 
footsteps behind her. Twirling sharply she let everything fall 
and reached immediately for her gun.

"Whoa! I was coming over to help, but it's not worth getting 
shot over."

"Agent Dixon?" reholstering her weapon she bent with him to 
pick up her stuff but then noticed he was holding the notebook

"Where did you get this?" Dixon asked when he flicked 
through the pages and read some of the contents.

"It's a confidential case agent. You know I'm not permitted to 
speak about it."

"WHERE DID YOU GET IT???" he shouted suddenly. His 
anger both surprising and unlike him.

"Give it back." she kept her voice low and calm trying not to 
anger him again but then she noticed his shoulders slumping 
and his face releasing all of its tensions.

"This is it. This is my case. It means they can't protect him 
any longer."

"Protect who?"

"Nelson."

"Malcolm Nelson?" Scully was confused. The suspect who 
was cleared. Then disappeared. "Who is protecting him?"

"We are. The FBI."

***

Alexandria Apartment.
8.15PM

    Sweat stripped him of any comfort as he lay on the damp 
sheets. Willing himself to move off the bed so he could 
change them was more effort then he thought he had left to 
spend but knowing that Scully would put him through the 
humiliation of changing his bed sheets for him when she got 
there was just enough.

Mulder pulled the soaking bed sheets off the bed and 
spread out the clean one. He barely managed to tuck the fitted 
corners around the mattress before collapsing wearily over it 
and pulling the quilt back over his shivering body.  Sweating 
fiercely he had tossed his pyjamas off and across the room 
hours ago but soon found that the little barrier of his flannel 
PJ's was offering more warmth then nothing.

    He drifted in and out of sleep for most of the afternoon 
wondering where Scully was when he was awake and 
dreaming of fiery hell when he slept.  His chest still wheezed 
and coughed with any exertion and he dammed his body for 
turning on him so violently.

    He woke with a start, confused by the twilight in his 
bedroom when he noticed the phone was ringing annoyingly 
in the living room. Sure that he wouldn't make it in time he 
listened to the monotonous drone of the announcing bell until 
it rang off and his apartment was again plunged into an eerie 
silence.  His stomach growled with the insistence of being fed 
but Mulder chose to ignore it and instead rolled over and fell 
back into a deep slumber.

***

Seattle Airport.
11.20PM (local time)

"Yes sir." Scully spoke into the phone as she handed over her 
credit card to the car rental agency and signed the insurance 
form. "Sir I landed about twenty minutes ago. I have a lead 
and I wanted to follow it before it got cold."

"Thank you," the receptionist said as she handed her a set of 
keys and a small map of the car park indicating where her car 
would be. Scully nodded with a smile as she walked over to 
the airport door and out into the cold biting night wind. 

"Sir I will call you back from the hotel, the reception here is 
terrible."

    She switched off the phone and looked to her left where 
Gordon Dixon was pulling up the collar of his over coat. His 
cheeks were pale and his eyes red rimmed as he hunched his 
shoulders and pushed the heavy door open.

"Trouble?" he shouted over the roar of the snowy wind.

"Probably."

"Want to go back?" he taunted with a crooked smile.

"Not yet. No."

    They both struggled on through the car park to the large 
family car and dumped their cases into the back. Climbing 
into the front Gordon spread out the map and found where 
they needed to go. He watched as Scully fixed the drivers 
chair comfortable then buckled her belt.

"Ready?" she asked him before gunning the engine.

"I've been ready for a long time!"

    A light snow had started to dust the windshield but it was 
melting immediately and she hoped it would continue to do 
so.  Driving through the airport traffic took all her 
concentration so it wasn't until they reached the highway that 
Scully had a chance to ask the questions that had been biting 
her tongue since he convinced her to board the plane to 
Seattle.    

"How long has he been in the witness protection programme?"

"Nelson?" Dixon looked up from reading the map and glanced 
at her. 

"Since 1981."

With a frown she risked a quick glance at him before pulling 
her eyes back to the road. "That's the year the murder took 
place."

"Yes."

"Do you really think it as an assassination set up by the FBI?"

"I know you probably think I'm a kook. But it's not like that. 
The evidence all fits." He argued turning towards her to see 
her fully.

"I'm used to wild theories Gordon, that's not what worries 
me."

"What is it then?"

"If you are right...if the FBI did set up the assassination of 
Judge Martin then it opens up doors I'm not sure should be 
opened."

"This case has already closed too many doors agent Scully. 
This has hurt too many people and I can't let it go." Gordon's 
voice lowered as he looked out to the flakes that were 
collecting over the wipers.

"Okay. But you need to know when to drop out. You need to 
know when its time to say quit." She argued seeing the grim 
determination in his eyes that she recognised in Mulder at the 
start of every case. Silently he nodded and turned back to the 
map.

***

Alexandria Apartment.
Washington
6.20AM (local Time)

    The shadowy figure skulked across the hallway and into the 
bedroom where the still figure lay sprawled across the bed. He 
watched for a moment as his chest rose and fell in a rhythmic 
pattern with a shaky breath in and a loose rattle out. Bolder 
now he took a step closer in time to see Mulders eyes flutter 
open and the shock register. Too late and too weak to react 
Mulder could do nothing.

    He pounced onto his weak body and held Mulder sprawled 
beneath him. Without the energy to fight back all he could do 
was wait. The intruder pressed a knee into the back of 
Mulders neck and pinned his arms out wide at awkward and 
twisted angles.

"Who are you?" he wheezed trying to arch his back up to give 
his lungs room to expand.

"A concerned citizen."

"What do you want?" Mulders cough shook the whole bed but 
the strangers grip only tightened.

"Where is Scully?"

    The question shocked and horrified him more then he 
wanted to admit. Scully? 

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

"Where is she? She left the office at seven but never arrived 
home. Has she called you?"

"Surveillance?"

"Concern. Where is she?" The intruder pulled on Mulders 
arm-twisting his shoulder socket into a white painful grip. 
Mulder held back his scream biting instead on his pillow.

"I don't know."

"In that case you better hope you find her before I do Agent 
Mulder."

    Something blunt and heavy hit him on the back of the head 
as the weight was lifted of his back and his room spun in 
colourful swirls around him before plunging him into 
darkness.

***

Office of AD Skinner
7.40AM

"Where did she go?" Mulder burst through the main door of 
Skinners office ignoring Kim's hand on his arm as he pushed 
past her and into the large open room. Skinner looked up 
calmly from his desk and waited for him to cross the room. 
"Where is she?"

"Seattle."

"What?" Mulders outraged voice spasmed into a cough that 
doubled him over in pain. Kim rushed out to get a glass of 
water and returned as Skinner was easing him into a chair.

"Take it easy Mulder...calm down." Skinner ran nimble 
fingers down his coat opening up all the buttons and pulling 
Mulders collar loose.

"What is she doing in Seattle?" he wheezed and sipped the 
water from the cold glass.

"Following a lead."

"On her own?" Glancing up with anxious eyes Mulder tried 
hard not to cough, choking instead on the air.

"No. She is with Agent Gordon Dixon."

"Dixon?"

"He was working the case before she took it. She said she was 
going out to interview a witness then returning later on 
today."

"Well she's in more danger then she realises."

"What?" For the first time since Mulder bounded into his 
office Skinner looked worried. His calm demeanour remained 
but his eyes sparked with concern.

"I had a visitor this evening in my flat. A man about 6 foot 3. 
Broke into my apartment looking for Scully. He wasn't 
exactly friendly either," Mulder said as his hand reached up to 
the back of his head. Skinner looked around and saw a welt 
had rising up sore and angry.

"What did he say?"

"That I should find her before he does." Mulder said bluntly.

"Kim get the Seattle branch on the phone."

    Sitting back in the chair while Skinner called the Seattle 
bureau Mulder tried to calm the twitching impulses of his 
lungs as they gasped for more air then his congested throat 
would allow. Sipping the water he was given he waited until 
Skinner was off the phone before standing and refastening the 
buttons on his coat.

"Where are you going?" Skinner asked already knowing the 
answer before he uttered the words.

"Seattle."

"Mulder you are not fit enough to travel again."

    With a sneer Mulder turned away from the door and looked 
at skinner. "You know I'm going."

***    

Castleview Estate
Seattle
9.20AM

    The estate was small and secluded. Most of the gardens 
displayed various kids toys and equipment but with the 
children at school at this early hour they were left unattended 
awaiting their return. Stepping through the hopscotch chalking 
on the path Scully smiled and followed Gordon to the front 
door of the house. 

    Plants adorned the porch, with evergreen branches still 
boasting their bright foliage proudly, bending slightly under 
the weight of the fallen snow. Gordon self-consciously fiddled 
with his tie and glanced over at Scully who nodded she was 
ready before he rapped lightly on the door.

    Quickened footsteps hurried to the door and it was swung 
open wildly emitting a young woman in a home care nurses 
uniform.
"Oh I thought it was the doctor." She said dismayed then 
looked them both up and down and began to close the door. 
"What ever you are selling we don't want any."

    Gordon put his hand out and stopped her from shutting the 
door fully. "Excuse me. We are looking for Neil Conner." 
Gordon asked using Nelsons pseudonym.

"He is not allowed visitors." The nurse tried to close the door 
but again Gordon stopped her.

"Excuse me, I'm a doctor, can I help?"

"You are?" She eyes Scully suspiciously, glancing up and 
down her small stature.

"Dana Scully, FBI actually," she flashed her badge. "But I am 
a fully trained doctor. Maybe I can help."

    With worried looks up and down the street but seeing them 
empty she conceded her barrier and opened the door fully.  
"He's down here. Experiencing respiratory trouble. I've given 
him the terbutaline sulphate injection but it doesn't see to have 
any effect."

"Is he arresting?" Scully asked as they followed her down a 
well lit narrow hall into a smaller room that housed many 
cabinets of medical equipment.

"No but since the operation in May he has rejected the lungs 
and he's not fighting any more."

"He had a lung transplant?"

"Yes. It wasn't a great success."     The nurse stood over the 
second door her hands poised over the handles as if she was 
having second thoughts. 

"He's angry and violent these days but he doesn't have the 
energy to keep it up...but be careful." she added.

    The nurse pushed open the double doors and let them into 
the room. On a hospital bed that was situated in the centre of 
the room surrounded by an oxygen tank and various medical 
machines was Malcolm Nelson. Without thought Scully 
approached the bed and saw his eyes had rolled back into his 
head. His mouth was open and gasping for air and on his 
throat was the scar from the tracheotomy. 

"He keeps pulling his tubes out."

    The Nurse circled to the other side of the bed and retied the 
straps that were holding his hands in place.  She tightened the 
straps as Scully tried to reconnect the tube but as he ripped it 
off he damaged the tissue around the sunken connector.

"I don't think this will fit in any longer."

    At the sound of a new voice Nelsons eyes seemed to roll 
around before focusing on Scullys face. The gasping lips 
suddenly turned into a leery smile as he eyed her silky red hair 
that hung about her face as she tried to fix his tubing. His left 
hand that was still loose moved slowly away from the 
mattress and stealthily inched it's way towards the bottom of 
her skirt. 

Scully, so intent on reattaching the tracheotomy tube 
she didnt notice his movement until his hand touched her leg 
and shot up her thigh beneath her skirt.

With a start Scully jumped back and pushed his hand 
away. Nelson choked on a laugh that sent him into a spasm of 
coughs that couldn't hide his smile.

"Neil!" the nurse called out angrily as she came around the 
bed and tied his hand to the railing. Still coughing Nelson kept 
his eyes on Scully as she smoothed down the front of her 
skirt.

    Gordon stepped forward and put a hand on her arm as he 
led her from the room and out into the hallway.

"You ok?" he asked standing a little closer then she would 
have liked with a hand on each of her arms.

"Yeah, just caught me off guard." She shrugged away from 
him and ran an idle hand through her hair.

"It doesn't look like we're going to get anywhere with this 
guy. Maybe we'll have some better luck with the local 
bureau."

"I agree." Scully went back into the room as Gordon walked 
out to the car. Beside the bed now and double-checking his 
hands were still tied Scully managed to the get respiratory 
tube reattached. The nurse switched on the maching and the 
humming hiss of the artificial lung filled the room. "That's 
only a temporary attachment. He will need a new tracheotomy 
point when the doctor gets here."

"Thanks for your help." Then as if it was an afterthought she 
asked, "What was it you were calling for?" Scully looked 
down to the feeble frame of Malcolm Nelson. His eyes were 
closing over with the sleepy recession of the sick. 

"Never mind. We'll call back when he's feeling a little 
stronger."

"You may be waiting a while."

"We've been waiting a while already."

    Scully walked calmly out to the car where Gordon was 
waiting, his frown encased deeply on his forehead. She 
slipped into the passenger seat and buckled her belt. Without a 
word Gordon put the car into gear and drove out of the estate.

"He's dying." She said softly. "He wants to die."

"He's taking it away." Gordon muttered as he pulled quickly 
away from the junction and onto the road.

"Gordon, he's a very sick man on the verge of death. I don't 
think there is anything he could do to solve this case for you."

"He could speak up. Point the finger to the men that put the 
gun in his hand."

"The very men who have protected him all this time?" she 
queried, flinching as he crossed a speed bump without 
slowing. The car bounced roughly on the tarmac and he 
skidded around the corner onto the highway onramp.

"The very men who pushed him into a life of hiding."

"Gordon, listen to yourself. You've already made your mind 
up." Pulling her belt tighter around herself she sat a little 
straighter in her seat and watched the traffic that Gordon was 
obviously missing.

"Look, Agent Scully," he said turning to face her. "You know 
I'm right. You don't see the links as clearly as I do. You didnt 
receive the threats as much as I did. You didnt loose anything 
over this case."

"Gordon-" she argued but before she could continue the car 
was jolted forward with a sharp ram from behind. Glancing 
back they saw the black van with tinted windows closing in 
on them again. Gordon accelerated away from the van and 
veered through the traffic in an effort to get away.
"Watch out!" she yelled as he came dangerously close to a 
truck that sped alongside them.    

    But as they came out from behind the truck the van was 
practically stuck to their boot, then she saw the second one, 
and the third.

"Look!" she pointed to the left where the other van was 
closing in on them and forcing them off the road and into the 
lay-by.

    Gordon was force to stop the car and he pulled the keys out 
of the ignition with fury. One of the vans emptied and 4 suited 
men approached the car.

"Agent Scully, Agent Dixon, step out of the vehicle."

    As they both climbed out they were pushed away from the 
road over to a grassy hill that sloped downwards and out of 
sight of passing motorists.

"ID." He demanded holding his hand out for their badges.

"What's going on?" Scully demanded but she was quietened 
momentarily with an icy stare. She handed over her badge, as 
did Gordon. 

"You are in violation of your jurisdiction. You have no right 
to pursue any case in this state and continuance to do so will 
result in prosecution."

"We do have a right. The murder of a federal judge is a 
federal offence." She argued trying to peer over his shoulder 
at the car, but all she could see was the top of the hill. "Who 
are you? CIA? NSA?"

"You will return to your hotel and collect your belongings. 
You will return to DC immediately."

"You can't do this." Gordon yelled his desperation blinding 
his better judgement and without warning the stranger turned 
to him and planted a fist into his chest. Gordon doubled over 
in pain and fell to his knees. Scully bent to help him up, 
turning in time to see them leaving.    

    As quickly as they arrived they left skidding off the gravel 
in a shower of dust and pebbles. They struggled up the hill 
and Gordon sat into the back seat his arms wrapped 
protectively across his chest.

"They took everything. They took the notebook!" scully 
yelled as she saw the empty boot where their cases had been.

"We were so close..." Gordon gasped through the receding 
pain.

"We have nothing now!" the sound of her phone ringing in the 
glove compartment halted her thoughts and she hurried to 
answer it. 

***

Seattle Airport
10.45AM

Mulder tore out of the rental carpark leaving tyre marks 
and curious glances behind. Coughing and wheezing still; he 
tried to calm his heart and lungs as he fumbled in his bag for 
his cell phone.  Dodging traffic and pulling onto the highway 
he dialled her number and held his breath as he pulled the 
phone up to his ear. It rang endlessly over and over the 
tedious shrill mocking his fears.

"C'mon Scully...pick up pick up!" he urged veering 
dangerously across four lanes to pull off the highway and onto 
a Cedar River road where he knew her hotel was. Thankfully 
she had used her credit card and Langly was able to locate it 
for him.

"Scully." She said stoically.

"Scully, Scully...am I glad to hear your voice."

"Mulder?" she hardly recognised him with the wheeze 
disguising his normally soft tone.

"Listen to me Scully, you have to get away from there."

"What?"

"Listen," he gasped and she heard him struggling to breathe. 
"Where are you?"

"On Highway 113, just west of Mulberry Park."

"I'm on Cedar road. Meet me at the hotel."

"What? You're in Seattle?" Hearing her shock Gordon stood 
and came around to the side of the car where she was 
standing.

"Scully meet me in-" The car was jerked to the left knocking 
the phone form his hand and forcing him to concentrate on the 
road ahead.  The black van that was trying to push him off the 
road was coming back for another hit and he braced himself 
against the impact.

    Whatever chance he may have had on the highway where 
the morning frost had been salted away, here on the smaller 
side roads he was struggling to keep the car on the road. Tyres 
slicked and skidded on the verge spinning on the ice with no 
grip and no option for turning. The road ahead and behind was 
empty as the black van turned towards his car hitting him 
once again and pushing him off the road completely.

    Mulder held the steering wheel tightly as the car fell over 
the steep verge and skidded over the snow into the forest 
below. Somewhere in his mind he registered Scully's voice 
calling his name but it all seemed too dream like as the car 
turned and rolled over hitting the tree on the passenger side. 
The airbag inflated cushioning the blow but not stopping him 
from cracking the glass with his head before plunging into 
darkness.

***

West Highway
Cedar River Road
Seattle

    Scully asked Gordon to drive slower as they approached 
Cedar River Road. She watched the verge for any sign of the 
car hoping against hope that they would make it all the way to 
the hotel without finding any disturbance. Hearing the phone 
clatter to the ground and Mulder shouting as the unmistakable 
clang of metal hitting metal coursed over the phone hit her 
panic button. Then suddenly she saw it. The verge collapsed 
under the weights of his car. The snow had been churned up 
and mud stained the other wise white blanket.

    She yelled at Gordon to stop the car and had climber out 
before he managed to pull over. Skidding and running over 
the ice and snow she followed the tracks to his car that had 
been imbedded into the tree. The passenger door was crushed 
but as she peered into the drivers window trough the spider 
cracks she saw it was empty. Checking the ground she 
searched for his footprints fervently. 

    Heart thudding angrily against her ribs she eased into the 
woods where the tracks from his car had lead her. Her 
ungloved hands were numb from the cold, from fear as she 
moved aside a branch and peered deeper into the woods. 
Behind her a twig snapped sharply. She spun around and saw 
Gordon running from their car towards her.

"Can you see him?"

"No. The car was damaged but he's not inside it. His 
footprints lead into the woods."

    He stepped towards her though the ankle deep snow. "I 
called for an ambulance."

"Do you hear that?" she said suddenly turning towards the 
trees.

"What?"

"Water. I hear water." She began to run, ducking under low 
branches and stumbling through the brush.  Mulders footprints 
were weaving back and forth now as though he had been 
staggering. The snow was disturbed in a large patch where he 
had fallen. Too much blood loss she thought.
 
    The sound of rushing water grew louder now. She broke 
out of a tangle of evergreens and emerged onto the bank of a 
creek.  Rain and melting snow had swollen the torrent to a 
dangerous level. Frantically she scanned the snow for his 
prints and spotted the rolling patch of crushed snow entering 
the creek to her right.

"You see him?" Gordon asked.

"He's gone into the water!" She splashed knee deep into the 
creek where his prints met the waters edge.  Reaching 
underwater, she blindly grabbed whatever her hands 
encountered.  She came up with bottles, branches and rubbish 
so she waded in deeper, to her thighs, but the water was 
moving too fast and she felt the torrent pulling her 
downstream.  Stubbornly she braced her foot against a rock 
and plunged her arms deep into the icy water.

And found an arm.

    At her scream Gordon came splashing over to her side. 
Mulders jacket had been snagged on a branch and they had to 
rip it off him. Together they lifted him out of the creek and up 
the bank, onto the snow. His face was blue. He wasn't 
breathing, nor did he have a pulse.    

    She began CPR. Three breaths, filling his lungs then 
cardiac compressions. One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, 
the sequence automatic and well rehearsed. As she pumped on 
his chest blood gushed from his nostril and spilled to the 
snow. Re-establish circulation and the blood flows to the 
brain, to the vital organs, but it also means the body bleeds 
again. She saw a fresh stream of dark red trickle from the 
wound on his head.

    Voices drew near followed by footsteps running towards 
them. Scully stepped back wet and shivering as the ER 
personnel lifted Mulder onto a stretcher. She followed them 
back to the building and into a trauma room that was 
exploding with noise and chaos.  On the monitor behind 
Mulder the cardiac tracing showed a pattern of ventricular 
fibrillation. His heart was beating with rapid irregular 
contractions. A nurse hit the defibrillator charge button and 
slapped paddles on Mulders chest. He jerked as the electrical 
current shot through his body.

"Still in V.Fib," the ER doctor called out. "Resume 
compressions. Did you get the bretylium in?"

"Going in now," a nurse replied, Scully wasn't sure which. 
Her body was shivering so much now that she didnt notice 
when a heavy blanket was draped over her shoulders.

"Everyone back!" Another shock to the heart.

"Still in V.Fib," the doctor said. He glanced at Scully. "How 
long was he under water?"

"I d-d-don't know. Possibly up to an hour. But the water was 
close to freezing." Even an apparently dead person could be 
revived after cold water submersion. They couldn't give up yet 
she pleaded with her eyes and her heart.

"Core body temp's up to thirty two degrees centigrade," a 
nurse said.
"Maintain CPR and get him warmed up. We may have a 
chance."
"What's all the blood from his nose?"

    A trickle of bright read slid down Mulders cheek and 
stained the crisp white mattress sheet he was lying on.

"He was bleeding when we pulled him out of the creek. There 
was a car crash before he went in to the water."

"Only a small scalp trauma just beneath the hairline and no 
facial trauma." The ER doctor reached for the paddles. "Stand 
back, lets shock him again."
    Unable to watch his body jerking as they tried to get his 
heart under normal rhythm Scully buried her head into her 
chest and pulled the blanket up tighter around her shoulders.

"We have a steady pulse Doctor," another nurse called out in 
triumph.

"Get the hypothermic blankets out and warm him up. I want 
head x-rays done as well to make sure. And someone clean 
out this wound."

    Scully felt an arm around her shoulders and glanced up to 
see Gordon gently guiding her away from the trauma room 
and over to an empty cubicle.

"Here, it's all I could find."

    She looked down to his outstretched hands and saw the 
medical scrubs he was carrying. Realising suddenly how cold 
she was she felt her wet clothes stinging her skin and she 
smiled gratefully.  He stepped behind the curtain and held it 
closed for her as she peeled off her old clothes and pulled on 
the dry warm scrubs.

"Is he going to be okay?" Gordon asked.

"We can't tell yet. He seems to be recovering physically but 
there should still be brain damage from his lack of oxygen."

"When will we know?"

"When he wakes up."

She stepped out from the curtain and brushed the wet 
tendrils of her hair from her face as the doctor approached 
them. 

"You came in with the drown victim?" he asked senselessly 
and Scully thought he'd win no points for his consideration.

"Fox Mulder. Yes. I'm his physician."

"Oh," genuinely surprised by her reply he seemed to 
reappraise what he was about to say. "He is no longer in 
fibrillation and seems to be warming up well. The trauma to 
his head," he continued pointing out the area with two straight 
fingers to his own forehead "is superficial and should heal 
nicely."

"What about cerebral hypoxia?" she asked.

"We wont know until he regains full consciousness. He is 
responding well to all sensory examinations thus far."

"Can I see him?"

"He is being transferred to the ICU where his temperature can 
be monitored. You can come see him before we take him." 

     Scully started to walk with the doctor then turned back to 
face Gordon.  "Call Skinner. Tell him what's happened and I'll 
report later."

 "What about Nelson?"

    A look of sorrow flitted past Scully's face but as soon as it 
had arrived it had disappeared. "Leave him. Don't mention to 
Skinner that we found him."

"Agent Scully...I hope you realise what you are saying."

"I do."  With that she hurried after Doctor Kilburn and left 
Gordon standing in the hallway alone.

***

Seattle General Hospital

    After spending the day in the hospital canteen with Gordon, 
Scully was ready to leave the city of Seattle behind and get 
back to DC. Too many arguments over too trivial amounts of 
circumstantial evidence. She hadn't been to see Mulder in over 
four hours and even though the nurse had come to inform her 
that the ventilator had been removed he hadn't regained 
consciousness. 
    
"Look Gordon," Scully stood up and ran her hands through 
her hair. It felt grimy and stringy but there was little she could 
do with it. "I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying 
you've no proof. No proof no case."

"I had the proof." He protested weakly. Tiredness and 
frustration had burrowed its way into his brow. "They stole it 
from us."

    With a rueful smile Scully turned his way. "Welcome to my 
world!" She dropped a hand onto his arm and gently 
squeezed. "Go home Gordon.  Send in you're report if you 
think it'll do any good."
"What about you?" He covered her hand with his own and 
looked up to her resignedly. 

"I'll travel back with Mulder." 

    He sat in the canteen watching her as she strolled out of the 
room. Her limbs stiff from the cold water and her shoulders 
slumped with defeat. With great effort he grabbed the paper 
cups that held their cold coffee and tossed them into the trash 
before leaving the hospital.

    In the ICU ward Scully walked over to Mulders bed and 
quickly scanned the chart. His breathing was raspy and 
painful but she was glad it was under his own power. His 
temperature had risen slightly and was out of the danger zone 
and his vital signs were slowly returning to normal. The 
chances of any brain damage was minimum but she still 
worried and would do until she saw the crooked smile curving 
his lips and the spark of humour brightening his eyes.

"How is he doing?" she asked a nurse who was taking his 
vitals for the 15-minute check.

"Very well. Considering."

    After she left Scully pulled the seat closer to his bed and 
slipped her hand beneath the side barrier to clasp his. His 
fingers were cold to touch but on his wrist she could feel his 
pulse beating steadily and it ebbed her tension away.  Letting 
her head fall back to the top of the chair she allowed her eyes 
to close and her mind to wander. It wasn't long before sleep 
claimed her into a heavy slumber. 

    Mulder felt hot searing pain with every breath he took. His 
lungs contracted against the air and burned at the slightest 
movement. Unable to open his eyes he was a prisoner to the 
darkness.  She was awake the first time he moaned and at the 
sign of consciousness she stood from the chair.  
    
    With one hand she caressed his cheek, gently encouraging 
him from the fitful trap.  He tossed his head from side to side 
and opened his mouth to gasp air. He struggled to survive in 
the water that was no longer engulfing him.  

"Mulder...take a deep breath," she urged calmly speaking to 
him and stroking his hair away from his face. "Deep slow 
breaths."
    
    His eyes shot open and he lurched with the need for air. 
Scully pressed his shoulders into the bed and put her face in 
his line of vision.

"Mulder...Mulder..." she said over and over.

"Scully!" he gasped. At the sight of her before him he pushed 
himself up and took in a deep slow breath. His lungs 
contracted and he fought the cough but it won, sending him 
back into the bed.  He grasped his chest and waited for it to 
pass.

"Hey." She stood over him with her hair hanging about her 
face, her cheeks flushed form the sleep and her eyes 
glistening.

"Hey," he croaked.

"How do you feel?"

"Terrible. What happened?" His hand came up to his forehead 
where it found the bandage.

"You're car came off the road...Ice?" she added uncertainly.

"Ice?" he laughed softly trying not to aggravate his already 
tender throat. "More like unmarked vehicle ramming me."

"Same thing happened to us."

"CIA?"

"They didnt specify." She grabbed a glass of water from the 
counter and held it to his lips for him to sip.

"One of them broke into my apartment." He pushed himself 
up. "He was looking for you. Said that I should find you 
before he did."

"It's crazy Mulder." She sat back into the chair beside him and 
rested her head in her hands. "We spoke to Malcolm Nelson. 
But he's on his last legs. Agent Dixon wants to push him for a 
confession but I don't see the point."

"If he was guilty of the assassination and now lives under US 
Government protection, don't you think that's important to 
find out?" Mulder argued gasping for breath between each 
word.

"Yes I do but at what price?" She stood up and circled the 
bed. "You were attacked in your own home and run off the 
road in what could have been a fatal accident!" Back at his 
side she touched his arm gently. "We were interrogated and 
our files stolen."

    Mulder said nothing. He looked down at her fingers as they 
smoothed the hairs on his arm subconsciously. Her eyes were 
distant and clouded.

"I'm okay Scully."  It took a minute for her to look up and 
when she did her fingers tightened around his arm.

"I know. But you almost weren't."  There was nothing he 
could say. Nothing to make her feel better about almost 
loosing him so he didnt. Covering her hand with his own, he 
pulled her closer to his head and sat up. Meeting her in a hug 
he reached his arms around her and held her tightly.

"I thought I was going to loose you too," he murmured. She 
let him hug her for a moment longer then pried herself free. 

"Lets get the doctor in here so we can go back home."

"I dunno Scully, the sunny climate here in Seattle is doing 
wonders for my lungs!" 

"Well maybe when we get back to DC and explain to skinner 
how we got on out here, he'll spring for a vacation out to 
Hawaii!" she said smiling as she went towards the door to call 
a doctor.

"Maybe Scully. Maybe. Stranger things have happened." He 
joked as he lay back down on to the bed and gently rubbed his 
aching chest.

"That's why they invented the Xfiles."

THE END 

Skinfull Nov 2004

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